Alarm clock



Jun 6, .1944.

o. F. BEARDSLEY 2,350,578

ALARM CLOCK Filed Oct. 21, 1943 I N VEN TOR.

Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOCK Oscar F. Beardsley, Endico'tt, N. Y. Application October 21, 1943, Serial No. 507,160

2 Claims.

This invention relates to alarm clocks and more especially to a means whereby the dial of the clock face can be illuminated when the alarm is sounded or independently of the sounding of the alarm and whereby, when desired, the alarm can be sounded without illuminating the dial.

A further object is to provide a means such as referred to which is simple in construction :and can readily be applied to an alarm clock or built into it at the time of manufacture.

A further object is to provide a mechanism which is formed of few parts, will not easily get out of order, and can be manipulated readily.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawin Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an alarm clock equipped with the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section through the lever showing the same held under restraint by one of the latches.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates a base in the form of a housing which can be provided as a part of an ordinary alarm clock 2 or can be added thereto.

At any suitable point on this base is located an electric lamp 3 so positioned that, when energized, it will illuminate the dial 4 of the clock. The alarm clock is provided with the usual alarm mechanism which includes, as ordinarily, a tripping member 5.

Pivotally mounted within the base I is a switch or lever 6 one end of which projects outwardly from the base and has a finger piece 1 of any suitable construction whereby the lever can be shifted, when desired, against the action of a restraining spring 8 which is anchored within the base and secured to the lever as shown particularly in Fig. 3. A slot 9 is formed in the base to permit limited swinging movement of the lever.

A stationary contact element I0 is located in the base and another contact element H is carried by the adjacent end of lever .6. Leads .12 and 13 of an electric circuit are extended to the respective contacts and one of these leads includes the lamp 3 heretofore referred to. Obviously when the contacts are spaced apart, the lamp will not be energized but when they are brought together, the circuit to the lamp will be completed.

For the purpose of holding the spring 8 under tension and the lever 6 away from normal position with the contacts 10 and H spaced apart, there are provided two spring fingers or latches indicated at l4 and 15 respectively. These latches are anchored at one end as indicated at i=8 whil adjacent to their other ends they are formed with onsets l1 and 18 respectively, constltuting stop shoulders which are slightly inclined as shown particularly in .Fig. 2. It is to be understood that both of the fingers and their shoulders are of the same configuration.

The two spring latches normally rest on the lever 6 so as to hold the lever in one position against the tension of spring 8 and with the contacts l0 and II spaced apart. In Fig. 5 the parts have been shown in this position. It is to be understood that both of the latches engage the lever B and hold it simultaneously.

The free end portion of latch I5 is engaged by a lifting wire is or the like having a lost motion connection with the tripping or releasing element 5 of the alarm mechanism of the clock. Thus when the alarm mechanism is set in motion it will exert a lifting action through wire IS on the latch l5 so as to move said latch upwardly a sufflcient distance to disengage the shoulder IB of the latch from the lever as shown in Fig. 2.

The latch I4 is adapted to be disengaged manually from the lever. For this purpose there is provided a rod 20 rotatably mounted in and extending from the casing l and having a head 2| at its outer end. The inner end portion of this rod is provided with a cam 22 located beneath the free end portion of the latch l4. When this cam is in one position as indicated, for example, in Fig. 4, it will hold the latch raised so that lever 6 will be released from restraint by shoulder. I'l. When the cam is turned down, however. the latch will drop onto the lever so that its shoulder 11 can engage said lever and hold it against movement under the action of spring 8.

Normally the lifting wire I9 is in its lowest position and the cam 22 is also lowered as indicated for example in Fig. 5. Thus the two latches exert a downward thrust on the lever B and if the lever is pushed from the position shown by full lines in Fig. 3 to the dotted line position thereof, the shoulders on the two latches will drop into engagement with the lever and hold said lever with the contacts and l I spaced apart. Thus when the alarm is sounded and the wire I!) pulled upwardly, only the latch IE will be raised and, as a result, the lever B will not be released but it will be held in restrained position and the lamp 3 will not be lighted. Should it be desired to have the lamplight automatically when the alarm is sounded, cam 22 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2 so that when lever 6 is in the dotted line position shown in Fig, 3, it will be held under restraint solely by the latch I5. Consequently When the alarm is sounded and latch I5 lifted, lever 6 will be re"- leased and the contact II will be brought against the contact In, thereby closing the circuit to the lamp.

The lever B canbe reset readily by pushing against the finger" piece 1 so as to move it from the full line positionin Fig; 3 to the dotted line position. Should it be desired at any time to illuminate the dial to ascertain the time without awaiting the, sounding of the alarm, it would merely be necessaryfor-the user to thrust the fingeripiece I to the dotted line position in'Fig. 3 thereby causing the lever to push forcibly against the inclined-shoulders l1 and I8 and thus bring the contact ll against the contact in to illuminate .the clock. Thereafter the movement of the lever can be reversed. V

From the foregoing explanation it will be noted that :the alarm can be sounded whenv desired without closing. the circuit to the .lamp or both the alarm and the lamp can be operated. Furthermore, when desired, the lamp can be energized andthen deenergized. v

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an alarm clock including a lifting element, of a lever having one end positioned for manual actuation, an electric circuit including a lamp positioned to illuminate a portion of the clock, a contact carried by the lever for closing the lamp circuit when the lever is in one position, yielding means for holding the lever normally in said position, separate resilient latchesnormally engaging the. lever, each of said latches having. an inclined shoulder for holding the lever under restraint and against the action of the spring and for maintaining the circuit normally open, manually operated means for shifting one of the latches for disengagement j from the lever, and means operated by the liftlatch to release theilever.

2, The combination with an alarm clock including alarm mechanism having a lifting element, of an electric circuit including a lamp positi'oned for illuminating a portion of the clock, a: switchvpositioned to close the circuit to the lamp, said switch including a lever having a projecting portion for. manual operation, a spring for. holding the .lever normally in one position to closethe lamp circuit, and separate means for holding the lever against movement under the action of the spring,,each of said means including a springlatch having an offset portion constituting an inclined shoulder, the shoulders on the latches being positioned to engage and restrain the lever against actuation by the spring, and separate means for disengaging the latches from the lever, one of said means being connected to the lifting element of the alarm mechanism.

,OSQCAR, F. BEARDSL'EY. 

